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Make Your First Credit Card Work For You

What is the first thing that you do when you feel you have reached adulthood? Some may think that the answer is to buy your own car, your own house, or to pay off all of your student loans, but none of these choices are right. The reason all of the before mentioned items are not correct is because in order to get a car, house, or any other possession, you must have established some good credit. A lot of people find themselves ready to leave their parents' house and go out into the world, and they don't have credit. They don't have good or bad credit; they just don't have any at all. So, how does someone fix this problem? Inevitably, everyone out there gets a credit card. However, if you are not careful, a credit card can get you into serious trouble.

When deciding which credit card to start with, you should sit down and evaluate some things about yourself. For instance, are you someone who procrastinates? Do you have steady income that will allow you to pay the bills? Why do you want a credit card in the first place? It is very important to be honest with yourself when you answer these questions because it is easy to get into a hole that you can't crawl out from. Even if you feel like you are the most irresponsible person on earth, but you still want a credit card, a good one to get is the American Express green card. The Amex card has to be paid off every month, and you may be willing to spend less if you know that there is not going to be a minimum balance.

We have all heard the phrase "Read the small print". True, one glance at half a page full of tiny print might make you want to disregard it, but in fact it would do you well to at least make an attempt to read it. The small print on your credit agreement could hold a lot of information that will save you money. Often there is information about hidden fees or fees you will be charged for spending over your limit. There might also be annual fees, or possibly a rate change that might go into effect after a certain period of time. Credit card companies won't accept the excuse "I didn't know" when they want to get paid. It is in your best interest to wade through that chunk of information so you don't get caught off guard with a charge you weren't expecting.

When you use your first credit card there are some rules that you should follow. You should always shred your receipts, and also shred any credit card offers that you are not considering. Do not ever give your credit card number over the phone unless you are the one who initiated the phone call to the company that you are ordering things from, or trying to get a bill paid. Keep the customer service numbers of all of your credit cards in a safe place. Sometimes companies will send you a new card and it will get lost in the mail, an automated system will ask for your information before it will let you proceed, however, if you don't have a customer service number, you will have to wait until your next bill comes in. You would think that calling the store would help, but incompetence runs rampant in all parts of the world.

Try your hardest not to get a credit card in the first place. I know this may seem like impossibility, but they are only troublesome beasts. If you have to get one, make sure that you have really thought about what you are capable of, and how you are going to manage your money.